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#Post#: 1550--------------------------------------------------
A Puncher's Chance - Chapter 7 - The Richelle Treatment
By: RampageSports Date: May 29, 2015, 9:57 pm
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A Puncher's Chance - Chapter 7 - The Richelle Treatment
The team event had just ended, and I was hustling through the
bowels of Allstate Arena on my way to the RSI locker room.
All in all, it had been a good event for us. All three teams
had increased their point totals, and we had a number of big
wins... including a tremendous performance by Britney Spears
against the legendary Doutzen Kroes.
Unfortunately, none of that was on my mind, at that moment.
No one said a word to me as I made my way through the locker
room to the medical evaluation area. Trish had just exited one
of the rooms, and she stopped and waited when she saw me coming.
"How is she?" I asked.
"She's alright," Trish said. "Banged up and sore, but otherwise
she's in decent shape."
That should have made me feel better. It didn't, and that fact
must have been apparent on my face.
"Hey," Trish said as she laid a hand on my shoulder. "She's
gonna be fine."
My eyes held on hers for a moment before I nodded gratefully.
She clapped my shoulder again before she turned to go.
With my hand on the doorknob, I took a deep breath and tried to
relax. I could not get emotional once I opened this door.
Contrary to popular belief, tough girls get to cry for all kinds
of reasons. Someone taking a beating in a fight, however, is
not among them.
No matter who that someone is.
Once I was sure I had myself together, I turned the knob and the
door popped open.
Danni was sitting upright, with her legs dangling from the edge
of the examination table. In her hand was an instant cold
compress, which she held against her face in an attempt to
reduce the swelling. Though the domination had been almost
total, the fight had been mercifully light on blood, with Danni
suffering only a few small cuts.
Still, the damage Candice Swanepoel had done was painfully
obvious. Enough so that I had to fight off the urge to step
outside and compose myself, again.
I let the door close behind me, and we looked at each other for
a few beats before I spoke.
"Jesus," I said. "You look like you let somebody punch you in
the face."
She smiled.
"I don't know about the letting part so much, but the result is
the same."
"No, I was watching," I said. "You never even tried to stop
her."
"F*ck off," she said plainly.
Neither snow, nor rain nor gloom of a one-sided beatdown stays
Danni from being Danni.
In the room there was a high-backed circular stool that the
medical personnel use during examinations. I grabbed it and
straddled it backwards, my arms resting on the backrest.
"How you feeling?" I asked.
"P*ssed off," she said.
I nodded. I knew exactly what she meant. I also knew it wasn't
Candice she was p*ssed at.
"Sh*t happens," I said with a shrug.
"I know," she said.
That was the difference between Danni and Brittany. Danni had
been doing this long enough that she'd seen it all. She knew
there was no shame in losing to someone of Swanepoel's caliber.
Sure, the fact that it had been a rout added a lot of sting to
it, but she knew enough to just let it go. Tonight had not been
her night. The only way to deal with it was to put it behind
you and move on.
On the other hand, Danni and Brittany shared one personality
trait I knew I would never break them of. In fact, it was a
similarity shared by every fighter I'd ever known.
They would not quit, even when all reason dictated that they
should.
It was that stubbornness that kept Danni standing for nearly two
and a half rounds while Candice had her way with her.
It was also the reason I had silently chewed my lip until it
bled as I watched.
Though I had given Brittany a little bit of a hard time about
not knowing when to quit, I would not dare say such a thing to
Danni. She knew me well enough to call my bluff. Even though
she had never seen me fight, she would still know that I had
been that way, too.
"Brittany didn't seem to be suffering any lingering effects from
her last outing," Danni said, happy to steer the conversation
away from herself.
Brittany had been in action again at this event... this time
against a much more experienced opponent. The odds were
definitely against her, but she didn't seem to care much. She
had been cool and confident throughout the fight.
She had also been victorious.
"No, she looked just fine," I said.
"Guess whatever you said to her worked," Danni said.
"Maybe. Or maybe it was the training she received," I said,
pushing the credit back in her direction.
"Maybe she's just good," Danni said.
"Maybe," I agreed.
"Did you talk to her, yet?"
"No," I answered. "You're the first person I've talked to since
the event ended."
She looked at me silently as a smile spread across her swollen
face.
"What?" I said.
"You were worried about me."
The way she said it and the wording she'd chosen made me
wonder... just for a second... if she'd let herself lose
deliberately. I set the thought aside quickly, though. I've
had my ass kicked many a time. Nobody lets that happen to them
just to prove a point. On top of that, Danni's team had been
counting on her tonight. So... no way.
"Nah," I answered. "I knew you'd be alright. You were just
easier to find because I knew where you were."
It sounded like complete bullsh*t, even to me.
"You were worried about me," she said again.
"Fine," I sighed. "Maybe I was, you know... a little teeny bit
worried about you."
Her smile broadened.
"Now, you know how it feels."
I wasn't going to admit it, but I've long known what it feels
like to worry about Danni. I had seen her fight before. I had
even seen her lose. Though a rout like this was rare, the
possibility is always there. And, the worrying is always the
same.
"You mean the fact that you getting your ass kicked means I need
a sedative?" I asked. "Yeah, I know how that feels."
She nodded, satisfied that I had a proper understanding.
"So, what do I do about it?" I asked.
"Learn to live with it," she said.
I nodded.
"I guess I could do that."
I reached out and gave her hand a quick squeeze... only a minor
violation of the "no emotions" rule... then stood to go.
"So, does this qualify me for the Richelle treatment?" she
asked.
I arched an eyebrow at her.
"I'm sorry. The what now?"
"You know," she said. "That thing you do when you think
someone's in trouble."
"Are you in trouble?" I asked.
"I don't think so," she said, "but you seem to be better at
ferreting out those deep psychological issues. Maybe I have one
of those."
I narrowed my eyes at her.
"Are you angling to get in the cage with me, Ms. Harris?"
"Not at all," she said in a serious tone.
I gave her a long, disbelieving look, then moved toward the
door.
"I'm offering you the chance to get in the cage with me," she
said.
I felt a little tingle of excitement as I stopped and smiled
without turning. Then, I shook my head and exited back into the
locker room to make the rounds.
That first person I found was Brittany.
"Told you I was better than that," she said, referencing the
disaster that was her previous fight.
"And I'm pretty sure I told you I already knew that," I said
with a smile.
We chatted for a few minutes before I broke away and started to
work my way out of the room. As I went, I offered a few words
of praise to Jennifer Lawrence and Petra Cubonova for their
solid victories. My last stop was a quick chat with Jennifer
Stano, who had what I felt was a certain victory stolen away by
the judges.
Then, it was off to the post event round table with team leaders
Britney Spears, Elisha Cuthbert and Alyson Michalka. With them
were the fighters they had chosen as the top performers for
their respective teams. Britney had selected Emily VanCamp,
Leesh had brought Julianne Hough and Aly had tapped the lovely,
yet annoying, Ms. Emma Watson. That group, along with
development coordinator Stephanie McMahon, were the perfect
combination to get my mind off of everything else and keep me
focused on the task at hand.
Meanwhile, all along, Danni's words were nibbling at the back of
my brain.
It was two days later... late, after everyone else had gone...
when I stepped into her office doorway, clad in the black bike
shorts and a red compression sports bra. On my hands were a
pair of black, fingerless MMA gloves.
When she looked up at me, there was no mistaking the excitement
in her eyes.
"If you need me, I'll be in the training room," I said.
"Alone."
I didn't wait for her to respond. Just turned and walked away.
When she got there ten minutes later, I was waiting in one of
the cages.
Her attire was identical, except that her top was black. As
soon as she came through the cage door, I could see the look was
still there.
"You sure you want to do this?" I asked.
"Never been more sure of anything in my life," she said.
"I don't think you really understand what you're getting
yourself into."
"I'll take my chances."
I wiggled my fingers in the gloves, as I started to circle to my
right.
"You know these ain't focus mitts I'm wearing, right?" I said.
"You know it's your face I'm going to be focusing on, right?"
she called back as she began to circle, as well.
"Ohhh-ho-ho... bring it on, sweetie."
We closed on each other and... the rest shall remain a private
matter between she and I.
I'll give you this much, though... the battle exceeded my
expectations in almost every way. I mean, I knew Danni was
good, but she was even better than that. I was thrilled just to
keep up with her.
Though we went at it for the better part of two hours, neither
of us had had our fill. So, we met again the following evening.
And the evening after that.
Right now, I'm sitting at my desk with a million things to do.
We have the Global Rivalry tournament coming up, and then all
hell is going to break loose when the UMMA finalizes the
franchise reorganization. And what am I doing? Sitting here,
watching the clock, just waiting for the time to come when Danni
and I can strap the gloves on and work the stress off of each
other.
If this keeps up, I'm not going to have to worry about squeezing
gym time into my schedule, anymore. Danni is all the workout I
can handle.
Which of us is the better fighter, you ask? There is no
consensus opinion on that, yet.
But the research continues.
[hr]
Character Reference
HTML https://aade768506dacb303a01a361d3dc0d27209a5ec4.googledrive.com/host/0Bz8YsEjMxOhMMXhVcF82aG5SXzA/Richelle_100x120.jpg
Name: Richelle Winterfeld
Nickname(s):
Background: Owner of the RSI stable, former underground fighter
HTML https://aade768506dacb303a01a361d3dc0d27209a5ec4.googledrive.com/host/0Bz8YsEjMxOhMMXhVcF82aG5SXzA/Danni_100x120.jpg
Name: Danneel Harris
Nickname(s): Danni
Background: RSI stable leader, reigning DEF welterweight
champion
HTML https://aade768506dacb303a01a361d3dc0d27209a5ec4.googledrive.com/host/0Bz8YsEjMxOhMMXhVcF82aG5SXzA/Stephanie_100x120.jpg
Name: Stephanie McMahon
Nickname(s): Steph
Background: RSI's fighter development coordinator, reigning SCQ
super heavyweight champion
HTML https://aade768506dacb303a01a361d3dc0d27209a5ec4.googledrive.com/host/0Bz8YsEjMxOhMMXhVcF82aG5SXzA/Brittany_100x120.jpg
Name: Brittany Tacy
Nickname(s):
Background: FAC lightweight contender
HTML https://aade768506dacb303a01a361d3dc0d27209a5ec4.googledrive.com/host/0Bz8YsEjMxOhMMXhVcF82aG5SXzA/Britney_100x120.jpg
Name: Britney Spears
Nickname(s): Brit, Queen B
Background: Team leader of Britney's Brutal Beauties, DEF
middleweight contender, training partner and close friend of
Elisha Cuthbert
HTML https://aade768506dacb303a01a361d3dc0d27209a5ec4.googledrive.com/host/0Bz8YsEjMxOhMMXhVcF82aG5SXzA/Elisha_100x120.jpg
Name: Elisha Cuthbert
Nickname(s): Leesh
Background: Team leader of Leesh's Lethal Ladies, DEF
middleweight contender, training partner and close friend of
Britney Spears
HTML https://aade768506dacb303a01a361d3dc0d27209a5ec4.googledrive.com/host/0Bz8YsEjMxOhMMXhVcF82aG5SXzA/Aly_100x120.jpg
Name: Alyson Michalka
Nickname(s): Aly, Hellcat
Background: Team leader of The Aly Cats, FAC light heavyweight
contender
HTML https://aade768506dacb303a01a361d3dc0d27209a5ec4.googledrive.com/host/0Bz8YsEjMxOhMMXhVcF82aG5SXzA/Emily_100x120.jpg
Name: Emily VanCamp
Nickname(s): Em
Background: Reigning ESL lightweight champion
HTML https://aade768506dacb303a01a361d3dc0d27209a5ec4.googledrive.com/host/0Bz8YsEjMxOhMMXhVcF82aG5SXzA/Emma_100x120.jpg
Name: Emma Watson
Nickname(s): Dr. Watson
Background: Reigning FAC featherweight champion, training
partner and romantic partner of Tiffany Mulheron
HTML https://aade768506dacb303a01a361d3dc0d27209a5ec4.googledrive.com/host/0Bz8YsEjMxOhMMXhVcF82aG5SXzA/Julianne_100x120.jpg
Name: Julianne Hough
Nickname(s):
Background: current FAC bantamweight champion
HTML https://aade768506dacb303a01a361d3dc0d27209a5ec4.googledrive.com/host/0Bz8YsEjMxOhMMXhVcF82aG5SXzA/Petra_100x120.jpg
Name: Petra Cubonova
Nickname(s):
Background: current DEF heavyweight champion
HTML https://aade768506dacb303a01a361d3dc0d27209a5ec4.googledrive.com/host/0Bz8YsEjMxOhMMXhVcF82aG5SXzA/Jennifer_Lawrence_100x120.jpg
Name: Jennifer Lawrence
Nickname(s): Jen, J-Law
Background: FAC middleweight contender
HTML https://aade768506dacb303a01a361d3dc0d27209a5ec4.googledrive.com/host/0Bz8YsEjMxOhMMXhVcF82aG5SXzA/Jennifer_Stano_100x120.jpg
Name: Jennifer Stano
Nickname(s):
Background: ESL middleweight contender
HTML https://aade768506dacb303a01a361d3dc0d27209a5ec4.googledrive.com/host/0Bz8YsEjMxOhMMXhVcF82aG5SXzA/Trish_100x120.jpg
Name: Dr. Patricia Leone
Nickname(s): Trish
Background: Head of the RSI medical staff
#Post#: 1560--------------------------------------------------
Re: A Puncher's Chance - Chapter 7 - The Richelle Treatment
By: Dragons Den Date: June 3, 2015, 9:22 am
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Brilliant! :)
You two just can't get enough of beating each other up, can you?
:P I guess, at least, this is mostly in the name of training and
productivity. :D
Just, try not to hurt yourself again. :P
Oh! And I'm glad Danni is alright. Phew. :)
And I'm also glad Brittany bounced back okay (mostly. :P). Good
on her. :)
#Post#: 1562--------------------------------------------------
Re: A Puncher's Chance - Chapter 7 - The Richelle Treatment
By: RampageSports Date: June 3, 2015, 9:39 am
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[quote author=Dragons Den link=topic=241.msg1560#msg1560
date=1433341371]
Just, try not to hurt yourself again. :P
[/quote]
I don't think Danni would hurt me. Well, not permanently,
anyway. :P
Thanks, as always, for your feedback. And for reading, now that
I think about it. :D
#Post#: 1564--------------------------------------------------
Re: A Puncher's Chance - Chapter 7 - The Richelle Treatment
By: Dragons Den Date: June 3, 2015, 9:43 am
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[quote author=Rampage Sports link=topic=241.msg1562#msg1562
date=1433342366]
And for reading, now that I think about it. :D
[/quote]
Thanks for writing! ;)
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